Which is why the latest news out of Penn State is so shocking. If you had told me ten years ago that Joe Paterno would be implicated in a scandal to cover up child sexual abuse, and his statue would be coming down in Happy Valley, I would have called 911 and asked them to have you committed. Joe Paterno was Penn State, and he was, in the eyes of many, everything that was right about college football. It's like hearing that Vince Lombardi gave the Packers steroids before every game.
This should be a lesson to all of us who devote our lives to worshiping others. We have to be careful, because no one is infallible and above the sins of the rest of us mortal men. Joe Paterno might have been a great football coach and motivator, but he was human and susceptible to human failings. From the looks of it he put the image of the program that he carefully and successfully built above the lives of innocent children, and that will forever be a stain on his legacy.
His legacy will now be viewed in the context of a still evolving scandal, and there is no doubt that it has been tarnished forever. Now all the good he did will be overshadowed by a scandal that might mean the "death penalty" for the proud program that he built.
This morning his statue was covered and removed under armed security. The surreal image that goes along with this post is a stark reminder of just how uncertain life can be. Who could have imagined that it would end like this? I am sure that the folks who love and admire Paterno certainly could not. The rest of us who are a little more cynical are not quite as surprised. This is what we have come to expect in a society where things are never as they seem. "Normal" ("clean cut") All American kids can become mass murderers, and men who claim to be messengers of God can harbor evil iniquitous secrets. You just never know.
"Losing a game is heartbreaking. Losing your sense of excellence and worth is a tragedy"
Sorry Joe, but not heeding your own words was an even bigger one.
42 comments:
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Gerald Arthur "Jerry" Sandusky, may have been the actual coach, the brains; and that is why Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno didn't FCUK with him.
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Sandusky sickens me. I wish Paterno was still alive to face prosecution. The Skeavyoldstoner
Field, "This should be a lesson to all of us who devote our lives to worshiping others. We have to be careful, because no one is infallible and above the sins of the rest of us mortal men."
I agree. We should learn the lesson of worshiping ANY human is a NOT a good idea. It is programmed for human failure which ALWAYS leads to disappointment and shock.
As Blacks, we should apply this lesson to Obama. In his case, he has already failed us. There is no need to worship him. Mr. Field, I hope you will agree and vote for Mr. Romney in Nov.
Quietly insightful post.
It's idolatry plain and simple. And idolatry has (negative) consequences.
There was a mural of JoPa with a halo. How creepy is that? & he permitted it. "Sic Transit
Gloria" it is said was whispered in the ears of victorious Roman generals by the same slaves who held the laurel wreaths above their heads as they paraded before cheering crowds.
Let me be clear, I think Sandusky is a freaking wimp. I would love being in an empty room with him. Both of us in opposing corners and a bat in the middle. First one to the bat wins. And I would beat that sob until I got happy.
Paterno always looked unusually strange to me. He wasn't that great of a coach either.
What I really want to know is, how does punishing the kids that play football fair? The NCAA is just trying to look good. They should be outlawed. So sick of the NCAA.
"What I really want to know is, how does punishing the kids that play football fair? The NCAA is just trying to look good. "
That's a fair question, and it's one many of my PSU buddies are sking. But aren't we in unchartered waters here? And couldn't you argue that there was a lack of "institutional control at PSU? I am no fan of the NCAA, but they gave SMU the "death penalty" for a lot less.
Let's see what they do later this morning.
"There was a mural of JoPa with a halo. How creepy is that? "
Very.
"As Blacks, we should apply this lesson to Obama. In his case, he has already failed us. There is no need to worship him. Mr. Field, I hope you will agree and vote for Mr. Romney in Nov."
I would consider it, but I need to see his taxes.;)
I hate to see the student athletes lose their opportunity to play. Unfortunately, something as to be done. As far as we know, the abuse can still be going on, harbored by the PSU Football association. By letting it go on unchecked, it simply fuels the fire of abuse. The worship certainly got way out of hand. V.
"As Blacks, we should apply this lesson to Obama. In his case, he has already failed us. There is no need to worship him. Mr. Field, I hope you will agree and vote for Mr. Romney in Nov."
I would consider it, but I need to see his taxes.;)
I don't think he uses "taxes" anymore they made holes in the wall, he uses tape now.
I'll be curious to see where the Paterno statue ends up.
"This should be a lesson to all of us who devote our lives to worshiping others."
"There was a mural of JoPa with a halo. How creepy is that? "
Very.
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The level of Obama worship in this country has been pretty creepy, and when applied to the President is a little more dangerous than for the Penn State football coach.
One technique of the faithful media has been to photograph Obama with either the Presidential seal or the Obama "O" symbol framing his head like a halo.
Google ”Obama Halo” and see how many images come up.
This was the candidate who said when he won the nomination "was the moment the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal". Evan Thomas of Newsweek said: "He's sort of God".
Joe Paterno was kind of a mascot for the people of Pennsylvania. College football gets too much veneration, but it fills a need for group identification that is apprently lacking elsewhere.
If Paterno, as it seems, covered up Sandusky's crimes, thereby allowing him to vicitmize other kids, then they shouldn't want that statue around. However, the guy is dead and can't defend himself, and they should have waited for a definitive investigation to be concluded. All those Joe Pa worshippers deserve that.
But as you pointed out, hero worship can have its pitfalls. Who knows, Field? Maybe someday you'll take down that velvet painting of a nude Obama on a Unicorn over your mantlepiece.
for once i agree with you field psu should loose foot ball for a long time.psu should have to pay for all those kids education followed by a free ride to psu.
I see the Romney worshipers have been let out of their cage, again.
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Here is yuh boi, live and in living colour:
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/697553/thumbs/a-JAMESHOLMESCOURTAPPEARANCE-386x217.jpg
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Aw LAWD nah, they gonna kill me:
http://i1.nyt.com/images/2012/07/23/us/23suspect/23suspect-hpMedium.jpg
http://i1.nyt.com/images/2012/07/23/us/23suspect/23suspect-hpMedium.jpg
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http://img3.wpdigital.net/rf/image_358w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2012/07/23/National-Enterprise/Images/holmes_358_720d.jpg
http://img3.wpdigital.net/rf/image_358w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2012/07/23/National-Enterprise/Images/holmes_358_720d.jpg
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Farley said...
I see the Romney worshipers have been let out of their cage, again.
Bob, Bob, Bob...and Kneel. Was that necessary? How's your wife Eunuch doin?
"There was a mural of JoPa with a halo. How creepy is that? "
Field replied, "Very."
People have worshiping other humans since the beginning of time. Ministers, priests, Gurus, Davidians, Jim Jones, Creflo Dollar and a line of Mega preachers, Paterno, Obama 'before' becoming President, and Obama 'after' becoming President, and Obama 'again' wanting to be President.
Paterno is small-time compared to almost an 'entire' race that worships Obama. It's the 'worship' of Obama by my peeps that creeps me out. It is even creepier that so many of my folks have been betrayed, ignored, insulted and unemployed(the biggest in our history) by Obama. Yet, our folks still worship him. That is not only creepy it's PERVERSE.
This worshiping madness of Obama began on the campaign trail 'before' Obama was President. It was a period of great hope by AAs. But ANY Black who dared to question or criticize Obama about ANYTHING, was ostracized and severely chastised by our race(i.e. Tavis Smiley). To not question Obama as though he was 'beyond reproach' like some GOD, was frightening and dangerous to our entire racial pysche. It was spiritually damaging and twisted.
After he was elected- the worshiping madness gained momentum, ignoring his "immediate" betrayal of his words of to America. IMO, the worst and most sickening part of Obama-worship perversely deepened when he condescending attitude toward us became clear. It was as if this "insult-er" of Blacks could say or do no wrong..
NOW, he is worshiped even more as he tries to be re-elected which is the worse record and treatment of Blacks in the history of the United States.
Obama doesn't scare me as much as my peeps do. We are still worshiping him and planning to vote for him. I never knew how badly we have been affected by racism in America, than our silence about Obama's deafening silence against us and our loud reactions to Romney who at least has given recognition to us and has been willing to talk to us. IMO, he is waaay ahead of Obama in this category.
IMO, Obama has used his silence and skin color to take us to the cleaners. Yet, our response has been to defend his outrageous behavior toward us. It's like we are saying, "thank you, brother...for stepping on us. We love you." It's madness, perverse, and just plain stupid.
Of course, black bloggers, won't touch this obvious truth with a ten-foot pole...It's too painful. It's much easier to take the focus off of our shortcomings and put it on some white folks.
This is depressing, bordering on despair and hopelessness. It's like watching a macabre dance of death of an entire race with no pride and we all are a part of it. And guess what? No amount of Obama-worship is going to change his attitude toward AAs. Obama doesn't give a damn. His trip to Colorado to console the families of dead victims proves it. He has yet hit the urban areas where the numbers of deaths are far greater. However, the people in urban America are not "valued" as much. In fact, we don't really count. We are "throw away" Americans.
Barack worship is nowhere near the Ronald Reagan worship on the right. Now that is raelly creepy.
PilotX, you miss the point re: Obama-worship. Anyway, Ronald Reagan has been dead for sometime. NOW, we are talking about the living and how that is affecting the living. You always seem to talk about the dead....Are you one of the dead among the living?
"Of course, black bloggers, won't touch this obvious truth with a ten-foot pole...It's too painful. It's much easier to take the focus off of our shortcomings and put it on some white folks."
So true, so true. Will we ever learn?
The fact that Reagan has been dead has not loosed the hands that worship him.
Also, it's the right wing who goes and names buildings and other structures after their living heroes. Most of the time it backfires as they learn their heroes were merely men and pretty lousy ones at that.
Field, first and formost I'm a PSU alum and played on the football team many years ago. Unfortunatly my football dream never amounted to much but I did manage to graduate. I am very conflicted by this report as I still find myself remembering advice coach gave me or the help he did for so many guys on the team. I said that becuase I wanted to get that out there so you can take what I have to say with a grain of salt or listen. Since you are in the law profession did you read the actual report? Because it seemed to me that there was a whole lot more people and intsitutions to blame than Coach. Mainly the Gov. of your state who was the head of the prosecutors office and let the Sandusky scandal slip through their fingers in 98, The President of the Penn State University who I thought the buck stoped with on final decisions but in the media it stopped at Coach. Campus police who investigated and spied on Sandusky but never did anything. the 2nd mile charity President and board who despite being told directly that Sandusky had inapporpriate showers with kids from their chairty decided it didn't involve them. It seems to me that this was the perfect shit storm of inactivity on state officals campus officials football officials, and personal failure on many individuals parts that let this happen for so long. But hey why look into things when their is an easy scape goat right.
Good insight Farley.
The fact that Reagan has been dead has not loosed the hands that worship him.
Also, it's the right wing who goes and names buildings and other structures after their living heroes. Most of the time it backfires as they learn their heroes were merely men and pretty lousy ones at that.
5:16 PM
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Farley, and your one follower PilotX are missing the point again. However, you two represent the Obama worshiping as though he is God.
This has 'already' backfired during Obama's administration. He has already shown his colors and it doesn't include "Black".
Once again, things have backfired for you....As YOU have said,
"Most of the time it backfires as they learn their heroes were merely men and pretty lousy ones at that."
That is Obama at his best. Yet, you keep worshiping him like a fool.
PilotX, "Good insight Farley.
5:49 PM
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What do you know about "insight", when you have none? You consistently address other issues in order to avoid the truth staring you in your face...such childishness...GROW UP!
for once I AGREE WITH EVER THING YOU SAID field.i don't worship any one execpt my wife"she who must be obeyed".
It's a shame that Paterno, who spent his career as a college coach who excelled in winning more football games than any other coach in the history of PSU-- ended his career reputation as the most disgraced coach in the history of college sports.
This is a tragedy for Paterno, his family, PSU, NCAA, and America. I hope this is not the tip of the iceberg.
i could melt joe's statue down and use it for a center board on the next boat i build.
"Farley said...
The fact that Reagan has been dead has not loosed the hands that worship him"
Admiring a man because of his results, sticking with his beliefs and being proven right isn't worship. It's admiration. Something to aspire to, courage in ones convictions even in the face of moonbat hysterics.
Giving a man handjobs from day one despite his lack of accomplishments and actually destructive term is worship.
"Also, it's the right wing who goes and names buildings and other structures after their living heroes. Most of the time it backfires as they learn their heroes were merely men and pretty lousy ones at that"
Yes, says the man who supports the occupy crowds.
You just seem petty and hateful, another moonbat to be taken very, very lightly.
DH attended Penn State, so this school was on the list for our kid to follow in the footsteps of her Engineer father.
Well top Engineering school or not, besides the fact that the school is located in "hickville" from what I understand, it wasn't hard taking this school off the "list" after the sex abuse scandal became public.
Dr. Reine
They should have shut down the program forever & turned the stadium into a parking lot.
Schools are for education, not playing games. This is a great opportunity to get some priorities straightened out.
To the former white hat and PSU alum, I co- sign with you about the Gov. of our state. He did not do enough when he had a chance as AG and he should be held accountable.
Yeah that Gipper love is creepy.
field writes:
This should be a lesson to all of us who devote our lives to worshiping others.
We have to be careful, because no one is infallible and above the sins of the rest of us mortal men.
Joe Paterno might have been a great football coach and motivator, but he was human and susceptible to human failings.
How similar this narrative is to the story to which muslims dedicate themselves.
Paterno in the role of Muhammad, both conducting a form of war against their opponents, but Muhammad vanquishing his opponents with a sword to the neck, while he himself married a 9-year-old.
It's all there. The sin, the blind loyalty, the unquestioning devotion, the sickness. The willful madness.
The US economy is sliding further downhill, and Obama's done exactly nothing to stop the decline.
Oh, he and his loyal supporters believe, or pretend to believe he's tried. But they all know he's failed, and it's starting to look as though they know it's the way he's handcuffed the economy with his attacks on businesses, big and small.
Tying them up with paperwork, paperwork ostensibly aimed at getting "tax breaks" for deserving business, but instead so badly gumming up the process of actually doing business that companies are skipping the offers and trudging on, hoping for a better day, a day free of the deluge of paperwork, taxes and worry that some huge new burden is going to befall them. Like ObamaCare.
There's actually a reasonable hope spreading through the country that our hapless, incompetent president may be defeated in November.
The insane and self-destructive loyalty his supporters offer may have started to wane. It has started to wane, and we all know it.
Pretty soon everyone who's out of work is going to believe the cause of their continuing unemployment sits in the White House. We may be about to have a Jimmy Carter Jubilee...
"Yeah that Gipper love is creepy"
So is that Obama love. It's even creepier, perverse and racist. Romney will be a nice change for America.
"Pretty soon everyone who's out of work is going to believe the cause of their continuing unemployment sits in the White House. We may be about to have a Jimmy Carter Jubilee..."
Cheering for the economy to fail is not how republicans will win the WH. I am pretty sure that most Americans have figured out exactly what is going on.
But good luck to you and your boy, Flipper. If he loses in November will you move to Canada?
"Cheering for the economy to fail is not how republicans will win the WH. I am pretty sure that most Americans have figured out exactly what is going on."
Cheering for the US to lose in Iraq is how Democrats did it.
Why do you black folks worship obama? Is he even black? To rip off Dave Chappelle, sorry Dave ,"Obama makes Bryant Gumbel look like Malcolm X.
"So is that Obama love. It's even creepier, perverse and racist. Romney will be a nice change for America"
Funny how racism just started recently when a blah person is in the WH. Conservatives are an interesting bunch. No matter Reagan began his campaign in Philadelphia,MS with confederate flags waving in the crowd but blah people liking Barack is racist.
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